Major approaches to the influence of the microbiome on the health-disease process and probiotic therapy: A Review

A healthy intestinal microbiota is responsible for maintaining intestinal barrier homeostasis, non-digestible food metabolism, and protection against pathogens. Fluctuations in the composition of the intestinal ecosystem have been associated with several diseases, such as immune-inflammatory disorders, type I and II diabetes, obesity, intestinal infections or inflammation, autism spectrum disorders, as well as related to stress, anxiety, and depression. Dietary changes or the use of probiotics, prebiotics, and symbiotics can significantly influence the gut microbiota, its functionality, and its relationship to host health. These interventions appear as a therapy aimed at a number of diseases that are affected by, or interact with, an imbalance of the intestinal microbiota. These therapeutic methods have the ability to improve the functionality of the intestinal microbiota by targeting healthy individuals, the elderly, children, immunocompromised patients or genetically susceptible individuals. This review aims to report current literature data on the clinical efficacy of probiotics and prebiotics in the treatment of some disorders correlated with intestinal microbiome imbalance and to verify other types of microbiome-based treatment.